Low voltage startup timer for a microcontroller-based circuit breaker

ABSTRACT

A circuit breaker capable of microcontroller-based fault detection having a backup circuit for causing the circuit breaker to trip in response to a microcontroller fault, including a timing circuit powered by a power supply and a microcontroller. The timing circuit is electrically coupled to an SCR that causes the circuit breaker to trip. The timing circuit includes a BJT coupled to the gate of the SCR. The microcontroller has a first output coupled to the timing circuit and a second output coupled to the SCR. The first output is coupled to a node between a resistor and a grounded capacitor in the timing circuit, and the node is coupled to a gate of the SCR and to a base of the transistor. A voltage develops at the node sufficient to cause the gate of the SCR to turn on unless the microcontroller pulls the first high-impedance output to a logic low state.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the present invention relates generally to circuit breakerswith microcontroller-based fault detection, and in particular, to abackup tripping function for a circuit breaker withmicrocontroller-based fault detection.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a circuit breaker with microcontroller-based fault detection, afailure in the power supply regulator circuit or the microcontrolleritself can lead to an inability to detect faults on the circuit beingprotected, leaving the load to which the circuit breaker is connectedunprotected and vulnerable. It is desirable to have a circuit breakerdeny power to the protected circuit if the circuit breaker does not havethe ability to detect faults by tripping as soon after power is appliedas possible.

What is needed is a backup circuit that forces a microcontroller-basedcircuit breaker to trip if the microcontroller does not start upcorrectly either due to a failure in the regulated power supply or afault in the microcontroller itself or both. Aspects and embodimentsdisclosed herein are directed to addressing/solving these and otherneeds.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Two different backup timing circuit implementations are described. Thesebackup timing circuits ensure that an electronic circuit breaker willtrip even if certain electronics within the circuit breaker areunresponsive. The electronic circuit breaker includes a microcontrollerthat analyzes current or voltage signals in a circuit and trips thecircuit breaker when those signals exceed certain thresholds orcriteria. If the microcontroller does not work at startup, the loadsbeing protected by the circuit breaker become vulnerable to certaintypes of electrical faults. In essence, the microcontroller represents a“warning system” to detect certain types of faults which are notprotected by the mechanical thermal or magnetic components within thecircuit breaker. The microcontroller is powered by a separate powersupply within the circuit breaker, and this power supply derives itspower from the current on the line. If the power supply fails, themicrocontroller will become unresponsive, so one of the backup timingcircuit implementations also bypasses the microcontroller if the powersupply fails to operate properly. The backup timing circuits disclosedherein bypass or override the “early warning system” provided by themicrocontroller if the microcontroller is unresponsive at startup orbecause its power supply is unresponsive or both.

In a first implementation, a backup timing circuit is powered by a powersupply in a microcontroller-based circuit breaker. The timing circuitincludes a transistor whose gate is charged by a node that is alsoconnected to a configurable pin of the microcontroller. When themicrocontroller is initially powered on, it runs through various startupand diagnostic routines. During this startup process, the pin isinitially in a high impedance state. As a result, the node can build upa voltage across a capacitor that eventually becomes sufficient toenergize the transistor. If the microcontroller properly completes itsdiagnostic and startup routines, then the microcontroller configures thepin to an output and drives it low, shorting out the capacitor of thetiming circuit and preventing the transistor from turning on.

In a second implementation, a backup timing circuit is powered directlyoff of a rectified line voltage. A microcontroller is powered by aseparate power supply, but because the timing circuit in thisimplementation is positioned upstream of the power supply, the timingcircuit can react even if the timing circuit is unresponsive. A pin ofthe microcontroller is connected to a node of the timing circuit, whichis also connected to a gate of an electronic switching device thatcauses the electronic circuit breaker to trip. Upon successfulcompletion of the startup and diagnostic routines, the pin, initially ina high impedance state, is driven low by the microcontroller, shortingout a capacitor of the timing circuit thereby preventing the electronicswitching device from turning on. However, if the startup and diagnosticroutines fail or if the power supply fails, the pin will remain in ahigh impedance state, allowing a voltage to build up across thecapacitor of the timing circuit, until it is sufficient to energize theelectronic switching device.

The foregoing and additional aspects and embodiments of the presentinvention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in viewof the detailed description of various embodiments and/or aspects, whichis made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which isprovided next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparentupon reading the following detailed description and upon reference tothe drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a microcontroller-based circuitbreaker having a backing timing circuit that can trip the circuitbreaker if the microcontroller is unresponsive;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a microprocessor-based circuitbreaker having a timing circuit that can trip the circuit breaker ifeither the regulated power supply fails or the microcontroller isunresponsive; and

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a circuit breaker similar tothat shown in FIG. 2 except that a drop resistor is placed downstream ofa timing circuit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Although the invention will be described in connection with certainaspects and/or embodiments, it will be understood that the invention isnot limited to those particular aspects and/or embodiments. On thecontrary, the invention is intended to cover all alternatives,modifications, and equivalent arrangements as may be included within thespirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

This disclosure describes at least two backup circuits that are used inmicrocontroller-based circuit breakers for tripping the circuit breakerin the event of a regulated power supply fault or a microprocessorfault. FIG. 1 illustrates a backup circuit that is powered by aregulated power supply and is operable to trip the circuit breaker inthe event that the microcontroller is unresponsive at startup. FIGS. 2and 3 illustrate line-powered backup circuits that are operable to tripthe circuit breaker in the event that either the regulated power supplyis or becomes unresponsive or the microcontroller is initiallyunresponsive or both.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a microcontroller-based circuitbreaker 100 conventionally connected to line and neutral (not shown)conductors. The circuit breaker 100 includes movable contacts 108 thatare forced apart by a relay 106, solenoid, or other conventionalelectromechanical tripping device. The circuit breaker 100 includes atiming circuit 102, an electronic switching device 104, and amicrocontroller 116 having a first pin 110 and a second pin 112. Itshould be noted that the terms “first” pin and “second” pin are notintended to imply that these pins correspond to pins 1 and 2,respectively, of the microcontroller 116, but rather are used todifferentiate between different pins (e.g., pin X and pin Y). The firstpin 110 and the second pin 112 are configurable as high-impedance inputsat power-up of the microcontroller 116, or as outputs where they aredriven by the microcontroller 116 to logic level output low states(e.g., 0V) or logic level output high states (e.g., 3.3V), as is readilyunderstood by those of ordinary skill in the art. An example of asuitable microcontroller 116 is the Microchip FJ32GA004 microcontroller.

The timing circuit 102 is coupled to the first pin 110 of themicrocontroller 116. The timing circuit 102 and the microcontroller 116are powered by a conventional regulated power supply that produces, viaa regulator circuit, a regulated direct current (DC) voltage, V_(DD),derived from the alternating current (AC) line voltage, which can berectified by a conventional half- or full-wave bridge rectifier (notshown). V_(DD) is typically about 3.3V.

The first pin 110 is coupled through a resistor R₁₁₂ to a node 118between a resistor R₁₁₃ and a capacitor C₆₄, which is grounded to theregulated power supply. Two diodes, D₁ and D₂, are connected between theresistor R₁₁₃ and a base of a bipolar junction transistor Q₈. Theemitter junction of the transistor Q₈ is connected to a gate of theelectronic switching device 104, which in the illustration is a siliconcontrolled rectifier (SCR). The collector of the transistor Q₈ iscoupled to the regulated power supply voltage through a resistor R₁₁₄.As used herein, the terms “base” and “gate” are not intended to denoteany particular transistor and are used interchangeably to refer to anyinput switching terminal of a transistor. The base of the transistor Q₈is coupled to the resistor R₁₁₃ at the node 118 through twoseries-connected diodes D₁ and D₂. The combination of the voltage dropacross the emitter and the two diodes D₁ and D₂ sets a minimum thresholdvoltage (approximately 2.1V assuming a diode drop of 0.7V across each ofthe three diodes) that the node 118 before a leakage current begins toflow through diodes D₁ and D₂. When a sufficient amount of leakagecurrent reaches the base of the transistor Q₈, the transistor Q₈ turnson, which in turn dumps current into the gate of the SCR 104, turning iton as well. The activation of the SCR 104 causes the circuit breaker 100to trip.

When the circuit breaker 100 is connected to a live circuit and poweredon, such as by urging the movable contacts 108 to the on position suchthat they make electrical contact with one another, the microcontroller116 initiates its internal diagnostics and startup routines. The firstand second pins 110, 112, respectively, are initially in a highimpedance state, and if the microcontroller 116 successfully completesits diagnostic and startup routines, the microcontroller 116 drives thefirst pin 110 to a low logic level state (e.g., 0V), shorting out thecapacitor C₆₄ and preventing the node 118 from exceeding the turn-onthreshold voltage for the base of the transistor Q₈. During normaloperation, if the microcontroller 116 detects an electrical fault on thecircuit to which the circuit breaker 100 is connected, themicrocontroller 116 drives the second pin 112 to a high voltage level(e.g., a logic level high of 3.3V) sufficient to cause the SCR 104 toturn on. The second pin 112 is sometimes referred to as a trip output,because it is the output signal by which a trip is initiated by themicrocontroller 116.

However, if the microcontroller 116 does not successfully complete itsdiagnostic and startup routines due to a fault in the microcontroller116, or the microcontroller 116 is otherwise initially unresponsive, thesecond pin 112 will remain in a high-impedance input state and the SCR104 will not be activated by the microcontroller 116, leaving the loadbeing protected by the circuit breaker 100 vulnerable. Therefore, asfurther explained herein, the timing circuit 102 can bypass themicrocontroller 116 and provide a mechanism for tripping the SCR 104 inthe event that the microcontroller 116 is unresponsive at startup.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the specificcomponents shown in FIG. 1 are exemplary only, and certain componentscan be eliminated or replaced with other components or that additionalcomponents can be added without deviating from the spirit and scope ofthis disclosure. For example, in other implementations, only one diodeD₁ or D₂ is provided between the base of the transistor Q8 and the node118. The transistor Q₈ can be a field effect transistor (FET) instead ofa BJT transistor as illustrated. The electronic switching transistor 104can be an SCR as disclosed above or an FET transistor or a thyristor.The electronic switching transistor 104 can be line-powered or poweredby the line-voltage derived power supply. By “line-powered,” it isunderstood that a component need not be directly powered from linecurrent to which the circuit breaker is connected (this is sometimesreferred to as “fault” powered), but rather can be powered from arectified representation of the line voltage. Those of ordinary skill inthe art will readily appreciate that a rectifier, such as a diode 208shown in FIG. 2 or a full-wave bridge rectifier 308 shown in FIG. 3, canbe connected to the line input of the circuit breaker to supply arectified signal to the electronic components in the circuit breaker,and this configuration is considered to be a “line-powered”configuration. By contrast, a regulated power supply typically includesa voltage regulator circuit for providing a regulated DC voltage outputand a ground reference that is at least a diode drop away from thepotential of the neutral input to the circuit breaker. The terms “linepowered” and “powered by a power supply” are distinct.

In FIG. 1, the timing circuit 102 is powered by a regulated powersupply, so if the regulated power supply fails, the timing circuit 102will not work. The timing circuit 102 in FIG. 1 activates the SCR onlyif the microcontroller is unresponsive. In FIGS. 2 and 3, alternativeembodiments are proposed in which a circuit breaker includes aline-powered timing circuit that activates an SCR when either a powersupply failure occurs or the microcontroller is unresponsive. Theseembodiments shall be discussed next.

In FIG. 2, a circuit breaker 200 includes the following circuitsconnected in parallel to one another: a line-powered timing circuit 202,a fault detection circuit 206, an electronic switching device 204, andan optional protection diode 220. A rectifier 208 rectifies thealternating current (AC) from a line input to the circuit breaker 200,and a drop resistor R_(D) reduces the line voltage for the regulatedpower supply 214. The fault detection circuit 206 includes a regulatedpower supply 214 that produces a regulated DC voltage derived from theAC line input to which the circuit breaker 200 is connected. Theregulated power supply 214 powers a microcontroller 216 that detects oneor more fault conditions on a circuit being protected by the circuitbreaker 200 to which the circuit is connected. The microcontroller 216includes a pin 212 that is configurable as a high-impedance input or asan output. This pin 212 is connected to a node 218 in the timing circuit202, which is connected to a gate of the electronic switching device204, which in the illustrated example is an SCR conventionally having agate, an anode, and a cathode. The pin 212 corresponds to a trip outputof the microcontroller 216, which pulls the input pin 212 to a logiclevel high output state in response to the microcontroller 216 beingprogrammed to instruct the SCR 204 to turn on and thereby cause thecircuit breaker 200 to trip.

The timing circuit 202 includes a resistor R_(A) connected between thegate and the anode of the SCR 204, and a capacitor C_(A) connectedbetween the gate and the cathode of the SCR 204 as illustrated in FIG.2. When the pin 212 is in its normally high-impedance input state, thevoltage across the capacitor C_(A) in the timing circuit 202 builds upand eventually exceeds a turn-on voltage for the gate of the SCR 204,turning the SCR 204 on, which causes a trip solenoid 210 of the circuitbreaker 200 to trip a movable contact of the circuit breaker 200 andbreak the electrical connection of the circuit breaker 200 to thecircuit to which it is connected. Thus, if the microcontroller 216 failsdue to a fault in the microcontroller 216 or a fault in the regulatedpower supply 214, the pin 212 will remain in a high-impedance inputstate, allowing the voltage across the capacitor C_(A) to increase untilthe turn-on voltage threshold of the gate of the SCR is exceeded. It isimportant to note that the satisfaction of either of the twoconditions—a microcontroller 216 fault or a power supply 214 fault—orboth will cause the pin 212 to remain in a high-impedance state. In thismanner, the timing circuit 202 is responsive to a failure or fault ofthe regulated power supply 214 or the microcontroller 216 or both andcan turn on the SCR 204.

If the regulated power supply 214 operates normally and powers themicrocontroller 216 and the microcontroller 216 successfully completesits diagnostic and startup routines, the microcontroller 216 will pullthe pin 212 to a logic low output state, shorting out the capacitorC_(A), which prevents the gate of the SCR 204 from achieving asufficient potential to cause the SCR 204 to begin conducting, and theSCR 204 remains off. If the microcontroller 216 detects a fault, themicrocontroller 216 pulls the pin 212 to a logical high output state,which has a voltage that exceeds the turn-on voltage of the gate of theSCR 204, causing the SCR 204 to conduct and thereby trip the circuitbreaker 200.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2, except that a full-wave bridge rectifier308 is used instead of the rectifying diode 208 shown in FIG. 2, and thedrop resistor, R_(D), is placed downstream of a timing circuit 302instead of upstream of the timing circuit 202 as shown in FIG. 2. It ispreferable to place the drop resistor R_(D) downstream of the timingcircuit 302 as illustrated in FIG. 3 to ensure that the timing circuit302 will cause the SCR 304 to conduct as quickly as possible if theregulated power supply 314 or the microcontroller 316 is or becomesunresponsive due to a fault or failure and to ensure that the timingcircuit 302 will operate if the drop resistor R_(D) fails.

In FIG. 3, a circuit breaker 300 includes the following circuitsconnected in parallel to one another: a line-powered timing circuit 302,a fault detection circuit 306, and an electronic switching device 304.The full-wave bridge rectifier 308 fully rectifies the alternatingcurrent (AC) from a line input to the circuit breaker 300, and the dropresistor R_(D), which is placed downstream of the timing circuit 302,reduces the line voltage for a regulated power supply 314. The faultdetection circuit 306 includes the regulated power supply 314 thatproduces a regulated DC voltage derived from the AC line input to whichthe circuit breaker 300 is connected. The regulated power supply 314powers a microcontroller 316 that detects one or more fault conditionson a circuit being protected by the circuit breaker 300 to which thecircuit is connected. The microcontroller 316 includes a pin 312 that isconfigurable as a high-impedance input or as an output. This pin 312 isconnected through the resistor R4 to a node 318 in the timing circuit302, which is connected to a gate of the electronic switching device304, which in the illustrated example is an SCR conventionally having agate, an anode, and a cathode. The pin 312 corresponds to a trip outputof the microcontroller 316, which pulls the input pin 312 to a logiclevel high output state in response to the microcontroller 316 beingprogrammed to instruct the SCR 304 to turn on and thereby cause thecircuit breaker 300 to trip. An example of a suitable microcontroller316 is the MC68HC908QT2/4 available from Freescale, Inc.

The timing circuit 302 includes a resistor R₁ connected between the gateand the anode of the SCR 304, and a capacitor C₁ connected between thegate and the cathode of the SCR 304 as illustrated in FIG. 3. When thepin 312 is in its normally high-impedance input state, the voltageacross the capacitor C₁ in the timing circuit 302 builds up andeventually exceeds a turn-on voltage for the gate of the SCR 304,turning the SCR 304 on, which causes a trip solenoid 310 of the circuitbreaker 300 to trip a movable contact of the circuit breaker 300 andbreak the electrical connection of the circuit breaker 300 to thecircuit to which it is connected. Thus, if the microcontroller 316 failsdue to a fault in the microcontroller 316 or a fault in the regulatedpower supply 314, the pin 316 will remain in a high-impedance inputstate, allowing the voltage across the capacitor C₁ to increase untilthe turn-on voltage threshold of the gate of the SCR 304 is exceeded. Itis important to note that the satisfaction of either of the twoconditions-a microcontroller 316 fault or a power supply 314 fault—orboth will cause the pin 316 to remain in a high-impedance state. In thismanner, the timing circuit 302 is responsive to a failure or fault ofthe regulated power supply 314 or the microcontroller 316 or both andcan turn on the SCR 304.

If the regulated power supply 314 operates normally and powers themicrocontroller 316, and the microcontroller 316 successfully completesits diagnostic and startup routines, the microcontroller 316 will pullthe pin 312 to a logic low output state, shorting out the capacitor C₁,which prevents the gate of the SCR 304 from achieving a sufficientpotential to cause the SCR 304 to begin conducting, and the SCR 304remains off. If the microcontroller 316 detects a fault, themicrocontroller 316 pulls the pin 312 to a logical high output state,which has a voltage that exceeds the turn-on voltage of the gate of theSCR 304, causing the SCR 304 to conduct and thereby trip the circuitbreaker 300.

Without limiting the scope of the present disclosure, the followingTable 1 lists exemplary values for the components shown in FIG. 3:

Component Exemplary Value C 0.01 uF (500 V) R₁ 500 KΩ C₁ 0.1 uF R₄ 1 kΩR_(D1), R_(D2) 11 kΩ

It should be understood that the electronic circuits disclosed hereincan be disposed on one or more printed circuit boards (PCBs). Thecircuit breakers disclosed herein can be any microcontroller-basedcircuit breakers, including ground fault interrupter (GFI) circuitbreakers, such as those based on the QO120GFI circuit breaker availablefrom Square D Company, arc fault interrupter (AFI) circuit breakers,such as those based on the QO120AFI circuit breaker available fromSquare D Company, or any other industrial or residential circuit breakerthat includes a microcontroller for detecting a fault condition on thecircuit being protected. Although the electronic switching devices 104,204, 304 are illustrated in the Figures as being SCRs, those of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that other switching devices can beemployed instead, such as an FET or a thyristor. The term “timingcircuit” is also variously referred to as a “backup circuit” in that itis operable to trip the circuit breaker when the microcontroller isinitially unresponsive or the regulated power supply is or becomesunresponsive. As mentioned above, the terms “gate” and “base” when usedin conjunction with a transistor are interchangeable and are notintended to apply to any particular transistor. Rather, both terms referto the control switch terminal of a transistor.

While particular aspects, embodiments, and applications of the presentdisclosure have been illustrated and described, it is to be understoodthat the disclosure is not limited to the precise construction andcompositions disclosed herein and that various modifications, changes,and variations may be apparent from the foregoing descriptions withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined in theappended claims.

1. A backup circuit in a circuit breaker capable ofmicrocontroller-based fault detection, the backup circuit tripping thecircuit breaker in response to the microcontroller being unresponsive,comprising: a power supply that produces a regulated direct current (DC)voltage derived from an alternating current (AC) line input to which thecircuit breaker is connected; a timing circuit powered by the powersupply and electrically coupled to an electronic switching device thatcauses the circuit breaker to trip in response to the electronicswitching device being turned on; and a microcontroller having a firstpin coupled to the timing circuit and a second pin coupled to theelectronic switching device, wherein the first pin is configurable as ahigh-impedance input or as an output, wherein the first pin is coupledto a node between a resistor and a grounded capacitor in the timingcircuit, the node being coupled to a gate of the electronic switchingdevice, and wherein a voltage develops at the node sufficient to causethe gate of the electronic switching device to turn on unless themicrocontroller pulls the first pin to a logic low output state.
 2. Thebackup circuit of claim 1, wherein the timing circuit further comprisesa transistor coupled to the gate of the electronic switching device,wherein a base of the transistor is coupled to the node between theresistor and the grounded capacitor.
 3. The backup circuit of claim 2,wherein the timing circuit further comprises at least one diodeconnected between the base of the transistor and the resistor, whichprovides an additional voltage drop that the node must overcome to causethe transistor to turn on.
 4. The backup circuit of claim 3, wherein thetransistor is a bipolar junction transistor powered by the power supply.5. The backup circuit of claim 3, wherein the at least one diode isexactly two diodes connected in series between the base of thetransistor and the resistor, which together provide an additionalvoltage drop that the node must overcome to cause the transistor to turnon.
 6. The backup circuit of claim 1, wherein the electronic switchingdevice is line-powered.
 7. The backup circuit of claim 1, wherein theelectronic switching device is a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR). 8.The backup circuit of claim 1, wherein the electronic switching deviceis a field effect transistor (FET).
 9. The backup circuit of claim 1,wherein the microcontroller is programmed to produce a voltage on thesecond pin to cause the electronic switching device to turn on inresponse to the microcontroller detecting an electrical fault on acircuit to which the circuit breaker is connected.
 10. A circuit breakercapable of microcontroller-based fault detection having a backup circuitfor causing the circuit breaker to trip in response to themicrocontroller being unresponsive, comprising: a power supply thatproduces a regulated direct current (DC) voltage derived from analternating current (AC) line voltage to which the circuit breaker isconnected; a timing circuit powered by the power supply and electricallycoupled to a line-powered electronic switching device that causes thecircuit breaker to trip in response to the electronic switching devicebeing turned on, the timing circuit including a transistor coupled tothe gate of the electronic switching device; and a microcontrollerhaving a first pin coupled to the timing circuit and a second pincoupled to the electronic switching device, wherein the first pin is atpower-up a high-impedance input, wherein the first pin is coupled to anode between a resistor and a grounded capacitor in the timing circuit,the node being coupled to a gate of the electronic switching device,wherein a voltage develops at the node sufficient to cause the gate ofthe electronic switching device to turn on unless the microcontrollerpulls the first pin to a logic low output state, and wherein a base ofthe transistor is coupled to the node.
 11. The circuit breaker of claim10, wherein the timing circuit further comprises at least one diodeconnected between the gate of the transistor and the resistor, whichprovides an additional voltage drop that the node must overcome to causethe transistor to turn on.
 12. The circuit breaker of claim 11, whereinthe transistor is a bipolar junction transistor powered by the powersupply.
 13. The circuit breaker of claim 11, wherein the at least onediode is exactly two diodes connected in series between the gate of thetransistor and the resistor, which together provide an additionalvoltage drop that the node must overcome to cause the transistor to turnon.
 14. The circuit breaker of claim 10, wherein the electronicswitching device is a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) or a fieldeffect transistor (FET).
 15. The circuit breaker of claim 1, wherein themicrocontroller is programmed to produce a voltage on the second pin tocause the electronic switching device to turn on in response to themicrocontroller detecting an electrical fault on a circuit to which thecircuit breaker is connected.